Jordan Peele & Conan Share Their Favorite Horror Tropes | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

Jordan Peele makes films about what scares him most - doppelgängers and racism. Conan’s more afraid of having to decide which ride sharing app to use.
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ABOUT CONAN O’BRIEN NEEDS A FRIEND
Deeper, unboundedly playful, and free from FCC regulations, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend is a weekly opportunity for Conan to hang out with the people he enjoys most and perhaps find some real friendship along the way. Watch highlights of Conan, Sona Movsesian and Matt Gourley chatting with celebrities and meeting fans, along with special segments like “Review the Reviewers” and “Big Dick History.”
ABOUT TEAM COCO
Team Coco is the KZbin home for all things Conan O’Brien and the Team Coco Podcast Network. Team Coco features over 25 years of comedy sketches, celebrity interviews and stand-up comedy sets from CONAN on TBS and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, as well as exclusive videos from podcasts like Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,
Literally! with Rob Lowe, Why Won’t You Date Me? with Nicole Byer, The Three Questions with Andy Richter, May I Elaborate? with JB Smoove and Scam Goddess with Laci Mosley.
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[@DarthD00bius]

I get Conan's point. Something that isn't in a hurry to kill you because it knows it doesn't need to rush can be pretty damn scary.

[@user-gg5tj3jg5k]

He is 100% right.

[@arlom5132]

So much of horror is anticipation of the unknown. The best horror story is often a mystery.

[@ittyandpocky]

I think it’s the inevitability. It Follows is the concept of the snail that spends every waking moment getting closer to you and if it touches you you die. So it makes you paranoid of the inevitable moment when you let your guard down and it gets you.

[@testtube173]

Peele said his favorite horror was Halloween and the shape never runs but he acted like Conan was off base

[@oskar_oskarewicz]

@@ittyandpocky It Follows is amazing, the motive of inevitable death slowing approaching is executed brilliantly! Also I think It Follows works so great is the fact it's basicly modern slightly art housey take on both Halloween (the way it's shot, the score, the tension, curse/death stalks almost like Myers and other slashers do) and A Nightmare On Elm Street (group of teens facing a supernatural threat in a world full of incompetent/absent adults)

[@Sabbathtage]

Conan says he's not much of a horror genre expert but then he drops his favorite and there all what I'd call "gourmet horror". He just naturally has good taste.

[@victoryak86]

Yes because he’s not a fan of most typical horror films with all the requisite tropes. Which is why these two are basically of the same opinion. Even tho Halloween is more traditional horror, it is better at everything than most and more original. Much average horror is actually derivative of that film.

[@rickdabagian9100]

as someone who doesn't know the difference between there and they're, I'm not surprised that is your take

[@victoryak86]

@@rickdabagian9100 uh oh here come the snarky grammar cops. Let’s get outta here!

[@sealife12]

Not a good take. Gourmet horror is a moronic pairing of words.

[@rickdabagian9100]

@@victoryak86 yes, please go back to watching marvel movies and alien vs predator in space

[@christopherpaul7588]

When Conan mentioned things that aren't meant to be scary but suddenly are, I immediately thought of those scenes in Twin Peaks when something terrible is about to happen and there are close-ups of the stair case and the record skipping on the record player and the ceiling fan. While not technically a horror director, David Lynch was a master of horror filmmaking.

[@michaelhudson2912]

Moments in Lynch’s work have scared me more than any horror movie

[@ZDCastle]

I would say “IS,” but maybe that’s just me…

[@user-xl4xy4xg8r]

​@ZDCastle you would say "IS" what, comment doesn't make sense

[@taylorlconner]

I thought about Twin Peaks when they were talking about the horror of something just moving from the background to the foreground… the scene where Bob climbs over the couch… 😖

[@christopherpaul7588]

@@user-xl4xy4xg8r He still is a master. It's true, even though he hasn't made a film in 20 years he did recently make Twin Peaks: the Return, which is absolutely brilliant and terrifying.

[@Miguel.Angel.Galvez]

"The Vanishing", "Let The Right One In", "Midsommar". I'm impressed. Conan is a true horror fan!

[@camerongahres8511]

1988 Vanishing? I haven't seen

[@rmvdhaak]

@@camerongahres8511 The 1988 original Dutch version is the good one. Don't waste your time with the American remake.

[@Miguel.Angel.Galvez]

@@camerongahres8511 yes, the original one.

[@aegresen]

I was thinking the same thing! He has good taste. For horror afficionados, an Argentinian film When Evil Lurks from last year is good fun. Not the best one out there, but gnarly stuff. I had fun.

[@GwenActually]

the Swedish "Let The Right One In" is one of my favorite movies

[@andrewfroese1067]

Peele has earned his spot in horror, and I love how you can see the seeds sprouting in Key and Peele sketches

[@Baronnax]

The Lil Forrest sketch comes to mind.

[@BigWrangler]

@@Baronnaxyup. Was gonna say that. When i first saw that sketch it felt almost like a horror movie. Hes very good a being creepy in his sketches too. So made sense that he loves horror so much and would be good at directing one

[@Oblogonogo]

or the make a wish sketch

[@drphot6050]

MadTv*

[@ronnielanders7969]

Yeah because Vet Out was not a complete rip off of skeleton key. Horrible horror writer.

[@rayray6490]

The Witch and It Follows are great recent horror titles. Glad Conan mention those two

[@cipherpac5249]

Hereditary and Midsommar as well

[@MalakMacabre]

⁠@@cipherpac5249All masterpieces Black Phillip *whispers* “Let me take thy hand. I shall guide thee…”

[@jonahcomplexx1849]

The Witch Is overrated Kind of like It Comes at Night

[@SBandy]

​@@jonahcomplexx1849 Disagree it is brilliant.

[@devinmichaelroberts9954]

they were okay.. the witch i wouldnt really consider a horror film

[@Gringa_L]

Can Jordan Peele come by more often? I don't watch horror, but I like listening to Jordan Peele talk. and Conan, of course.

[@rnw2739]

Doppelganger or racism? Please.......

[@Haterator]

Why did he invite that rac1st sob in the first place?

[@gabos7892]

"The difference between comedy and horror is the music." Jordan Peele

[@sew75962]

My all time favorite is The Shining. It’s the first horror film I ever saw. Decades later, and so many horror films watched later, and it still terrifies me. The sense of dread throughout. The descent into madness. Ari Aster though is another genius film maker. The way he’s able to build suspense and tension in midsommar, in the bright sunshine surrounded by beautiful scenery, is masterful.

[@monkehotdogs2227]

Hereditary probably my 2nd fav horror movie

[@FrankDickerstein]

@@monkehotdogs2227 This is crazy because The Shining and Hereditary are my favorites.

[@victoryak86]

I completely agree. I’d v loved to hear these two talk just about this topic for a whole hour because both have such a high level of intelligence and original thinking (what IS actually horrifying or scary?). Jordan is definitely one of if not the, best directors of horror films today. I’d really like to watch the Shining with a voice over of Jordan Peele giving insights to all aspects of that film. I think Kubrick would’ve loved Peele’s films as well because of his stylistic choices and subtlety. That would be amazing.

[@andrewh3264]

Did you like Dr Sleep?

[@christophermiller1595]

Also...it's more scary than racism... Lol...

[@c.o.n.collectingofnostalgi889]

Would love to see Mr Peele do a creature feature with Guillermo del Toro

[@amystone7407]

You are clearly a scholar and a philosopher and no idea I hear during the course of this year will top this one.

[@willmendoza8498]

Would absolutely watch

[@treetopjones737]

A couple of Guillermo's best: the Devil's Backbone, Cronos.

[@thomasgriffin2326]

Nah

[@RTSOB1]

An imagined horror is more powerful than the moment. "Something wicked this way comes" provokes more fear in me than the thing itself. The first half of Alien was more frightening than the reveal.

[@victoryak86]

That’s really what elevated Jaws from “very good” to a masterpiece, the unexpected tho now understood as fortunate, problems w the mechanical shark, forcing them to rely more on mood, the unseen threat and anticipation of the “hidden menace.” It would’ve been a lesser film had they had too many seems showing the shark.

[@treetopjones737]

Horror classic "the Haunting" ( 1963 )

[@wyskass861]

I like Conan's insight, and I also agree. Where it's funniest or scariest when it's not supposed to be. It's the incongruence of a situation that people are good at perceiving, whether scary of funny. When everything is clownish and you're told when to laugh because of obvious joke, it gets boring. I like it most when I can laugh at something a few seconds later, and then keep smiling about it. Nathan Fielder was in this style and being my current favorite, where he's not just about funny and moved into integrating other emotions and things are funny as almost meta, and there is weirdness and awkwardness.

[@SINQUEFIELD83]

That is what made John Wayne Gayce appealing as a serial killer. The societal perception of the clown did a complete 180 which lead to so many people having actual phobias of clowns. The contrast of the harmless fun silly clown that doesn't take anything serious helps intensify the horror element when it acts oppositite of it's nature. This in my opinion, is far more horrifying than the scary looking monster acting like a monster. With that being said, I am aware that the evil clown is a bit of trope now, but when it initially came on the scene, it was fantastic and worked brilliantly.

[@erch4882]

Disagree. Anything that is has intention, whether it be funny or scary, should be intended, with precision, hence people like Nathan fielder will never ever be in the level of Conan or Mel Brooks

[@wyskass861]

@@erch4882 Fair to have your own comedy preferences. I like those as well. To clarify, I'm talking about the intention of the character not the writer. Of course it's written with that intention, and not accidental, but it's accidental from the pov of the character. We're laughing at the character acting serious.

[@Stardust_Lily]

@@erch4882 But Nathan Fielder's comedy is extremely intentional. You don't think he ends up in those situations on accident, do you?

[@victoryak86]

I’d v loved to hear these two talk just about this topic for a whole hour. Both have such a high level of intelligence and original thinking. Jordan is definitely one of if not the, best directors of horror films today. I’d really like to watch the Shining with a voice over of Jordan giving insights to that film. That would be amazing.

[@cjlewis79]

The Thing for me was the scariest movie. You just never knew who was possessed. Carpenter was such a good director of suspense and the thriller. Also that situation where you could be rich and go anywhere and do anything but there is a slug or snail or being that will always chase you and if it touches you, you die. That would be absolutely terrifying.

[@salishanmusic]

It's interesting that John Carpenter is only brought up in relation to Halloween (which is great) when he has so many great movies

[@eh2396]

Posessed?? They weren't possesed. It was an alien virus not demons. Get it right.

[@christophermiller1595]

The Thing is one of those movies where you can watch it multiple times and find something you didn't catch before... An absolute masterpiece... It's also scarier than racism... Which apparently scares the virtue signaling director.

[@noelramirez1551]

Was the snail immortal? Because it crossing oceans would seem impossible some type of snails dont breathe underwater

[@qayss8977]

Exact same here regarding The Thing. Unparalleled (sci-fi) horror atmosphere (soundtrack, visuals, acting, narrative, action, tension, it's got it all).

[@bloodstreamcity]

I can't believe Conan dropped It Follows into the conversation. For someone who doesn't watch much horror he totally nailed it.

[@fyoutube2294]

Wasn’t ‘It Follows’ pretty popular when it released

[@bloodstreamcity]

@@fyoutube2294 Decently popular, but it's not as well known to a mainstream audience as something like a Scream, Saw, Paranormal Activity, etc. It's more of a cult classic, I think.

[@robj362]

Invasion of the body snatchers is up there for me. Donald Sutherland scream at the end, the hopelessness of the ending...... shivers

[@darkostrain185]

It’s such a good film

[@willmendoza8498]

Probably my favorite conversation on the show so far.

[@ghostofamoment]

I did not expect Conan to mention, let alone enjoy, It Follows! That movie has such great atmosphere and dread (the soundtrack is also 10/10).

[@dudekazoo]

That was the movie that came to my mind both when Peele asked about his favorite horror movie and when Conan described the trees from The Witch.

[@lynnkingpin]

love that soundtrack

[@_JesusIsLord_]

The way they are talking lovingly bout the movies they like is something all movie buffs can relate to, not necessarily the “gotta binge watch die hard” during Christmas crowd, but relatable to anyone who thinks bout what they are consuming.

[@LastSifu]

When he talks about how movies would set the scene @ 1:37, I think about that all the time and how it’s rare to see anymore. It’s an important element to storytelling that is missing from most films today.

[@s_.777]

Black Christmas is the most overlooked horror movie, it’s brilliant.

[@jaclyndolaghan2960]

Matt sitting so quietly while they talk about something he loves SOOO much

[@mike79p]

That's what I was thinking. Especially during the Halloween talk. I bet he's dying to jump into the convo

[@rangers11ization]

Jaws is my favorite horror film.The tension Spielberg put in the movie with the shark only getting 4 minutes of screen time was amazing.

[@sidhackney8831]

And born purely of necessity - the shark was intended to be seen far more but the animatronic was a nightmare so its screentime kept getting cut down. The best films are always a perfect storm of conditions.

[@gilbertodepiento8521]

You need to see the shining or dead silence or the thing...

[@florete2310]

Oh yes. I also liked the old Poltergeist movies

[@xidada666]

Sorry to be that guy, but Jaws really isn't considered a horror film.

[@David_7171]

That came to my mind as well. Spielberg said in an interview that due to the animatronics malfunctioning the shark got limited screen time and that made movie more frightening.

[@justinklenk]

YES: _The Witch_ was an instant horror classic; Eggers enlisted the bleak foreboding of that cold, unforgiving New England wilderness to authentically cast the natural dread in the air and the circumstantial horror of their plight as they descended into a fated demise, their principled stubbornness succumbing to a darkness that patiently took everything and everyone, with a subtly menacing certainty. It truly was masterfully done, one of my favorite films ever, and certainly a favorite horror movie of all time. I'm not 'able' to be a witch-/occult-/demonic-/satanic-/black magic-/ghost-horror flick enthusiast at ALL - I think they're almost _all_ done so, sooo poorly and unoriginally and unimaginatively, full of nothing but weak plots, lame banality, pg-13 jumpscares, uncompelling premises, and such _incredibly_ tired tropes from the get-go... But what Eggers accomplished with that movie instantly transcended everything ever done in that entire horror subgenre. It was truly a masterful work of art - and legitimately spooky for once - from start to finish... It's what horror should always be, each film marked by genius in its own way, in its own respect, throughout its entire runtime. 👍 👍 👍

[@sechay9328]

What made this movie work for me was that it was also period accurate. It was a horror movie about being in the actual horror of being in a home accused of witchcraft from the social and just making a living standpoint. Their lives were ruined and then they ruined eachothers dealing with it. BUT! The witchcraft was real as well and all the biblical language and religious interpretrations of actual witchcraft were accurately represented. It isn't just good film making, or horror, it is good research as well. If we were to take the idea of 17th century Satan worship seriously, this is basically how it would pan out.

[@justinklenk]

@@sechay9328 Indeed - that was the true "in situ" grounding of the film, for me. It wouldn't be what it was, and wouldn't have achieved what it achieved, if it hadn't been so utterly and completely immersive in that regard. Eggers truly demonstrated for the world what believability and immersion can and should look and feel like - and how it will _really_ take you there...

[@itsjeninMass]

The Witch was a masterpiece. Truly.

[@aidanb.c.2325]

I'm looking at that cold, unforgiving New England wilderness out my back window right now, and even having grown up in these woods, I certainly feel uneasy. Eggers captured the spirit of my Puritan ancestors and the vibe of their adopted home very well.

[@itsjeninMass]

@@aidanb.c.2325 Agreed! I live in NW Massachusetts on wooded property. I love it here, but I do get creeped out. LOL!

[@icreateworlds]

My all time favorite is still THE CHANGELLING with George C Scott from 1980 directed by Peter Medak. The small children’s rolling ball down the stairs and the spirit session still creeps me out no matter how many times I watch that movie. If you are looking for a classic haunted house movie , check that one out.

[@stuartmayberry666]

I love the discussion of music but I also love how the absence of music can really make a scene. One example I love is not from a horror film but is a horrific scene: The opening to “Capote” when the murdered family is discovered. The lack of music or overt gore gives the whole thing a real feel to it. It keeps the scene grounded in a very unsettling way.

[@81Point2]

Not necessarily a proper horror but A Quiet Place has moments where the lack of music or the presence of noise is terrifying

[@fredbyoutubing]

It's also what makes No country for old men so visceral.

[@thexbigxgreen]

The point that Conan was trying to make was the inevitability of that creature reaching you is more terrifying than something in a rush, it's more existentially creepy

[@magicknight13]

Damn I'm so happy Conan has such great taste! Some of my favorites got mentioned! So cool to see these two talk

[@GwenActually]

The first horror movie I always recommend to anyone is the original Candyman. The hair & fashion might be dated, but it's a legitimately scary movie. The antagonist is creepy af, but it's also the environment the protagonist explores that is creepy, like Conan mentions about The Witch. The music is wonderful, there's gore (not my thing but some people love it, so it's there), it's got a sort of ghost story aspect, it's got a lot of emotional sadness watching the residents of Cabrini Green struggle, and I can't get over how well the villain is portrayed. My second is usually the first Nightmare on Elm Street, but definitely Candyman for #1.

[@kylecook7187]

I loved the OG Candyman, really didn't care for the remake

[@kylecook7187]

Or sequel or whatever it was

[@aminadoctrove3738]

Same! Candyman is so damn good! The music the dream-like quality of it. The sort of tragic romantic longing that Candyman has for Helen in the urban setting of Chicago. It’s one of the best done Modern Gothic horror movies I’ve ever seen.

[@Yodoggy9]

Not to mention the strong social commentary! An outsider to the neighborhood coming to help, only truly helping when she sacrifices herself to the flames to save the next generation? Powerful stuff.

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

YES. Became an instant classic for me as well, that voice of Tony Todd is spine-tingling, and talking about musical scores, Philip Glass is hard to beat. Phenomenal film,

[@charlie1143]

DUDE I always tell people about it follows, so cool to hear these two praise it

[@disliked1390]

Love you Conan. Best human on earth, Jordan Peele is such a good guest

[@Mopark25]

"Nothing scary is happening here" man Conan nailed it, great way of illustrating his point.

[@mcfc6320]

Peele makes it sound so easy but the horrer genre is so difficult. Maybe its his calming voice but even his movies have so much attention to detail which is complex and make them great movies to watch multiple times.

[@trebory6]

Peele definitely has a lot of self awareness, critical thinking skills, emotional intelligence, and the encyclopedic knowledge of cinema doesn't hurt. Horror is only hard for people lacking in any one of those above areas in my opinion.

[@beefweiner]

jordan peeles stuff is trash

[@TheGameGallowsPlay]

Perhaps the most difficult thing about horror is how it's spelled...

[@anthonywesley5306]

@@beefweiner awful trolling LOL

[@murk4552]

​@@beefweinerfound the horror hipster who thinks everyone has to be like John Carpenter lol.

[@Ziggy-hy4fn]

That point about It Follows was so true. The eerie knowledge that someone, almost human, is steadily making its way to you at any given moment is a kind of fear I never hope to experience. That movie was just brilliant

[@Yungbeck]

Horror is my favourite genre! Great talk!

[@myrezz8833]

Midsommar, and Get Out both shook me on a visceral level. Most scary movies are scary in the moment, but both Midsommar and Get Out made me soooooo disturbed for days.

[@michaelambrosinofilm]

Just went and watched The Vanishing (1988) after listening to them talk about it here. The ending is absolutely bone-chilling. Highly recommend, if you haven't seen.

[@user-dt3rj8qm3k]

This was an enjoyable conversation.

[@lynnkingpin]

it follows music is so good ..what a great score

[@c.o.n.collectingofnostalgi889]

I wouldn't mind seeing Mr Peele do a Gargoyles short to show he can do it justice

[@MAC-op5fc]

Awesome interview.

[@spooly]

I love that he mentioned It Follows!! That movie left an impression on me. Constantly being chased by different people. That music set perfect tone.

[@istapleton11]

5:56 the whole thing about it follows, to me, is when she’s running and the entity is just walking like “I’m still gonna get you.” That’s horror. That’s good stuff.

[@Marykate465]

Great interview , as usual. The point that Conan missed out in “ it follows” was that the person walking slowing to them was walking to the specific person to kill them.

[@humanafterallTF2]

I agree with Conan that slow moving zombies are more eerie and more terrifying than fast. Example: resident evil 1&2 games of playstation 1 era. Very narrow escape routes and scenery with slow moving, grunt and growls making zombies is more terrifying than fast and loud. It is the Romero style zombie horde that gets my neck hair tingly.

[@BrickInTheHead]

Horror is obviously subjective so I don't think people that like fast zombies are "wrong," but I definitely agree that the dread imposed by slow zombies (and stuff like It Follows) is more horrifying to me than fast zombies. In a real life situation, I'd of course prefer slow to fast (since fast are objectively more dangerous), but in a movie, the oppressive unending horde symbolizing your inevitable doom is so much more moody and existentially terrifying than fast zombies running screaming and chomping. E.g., compare Resident Evil and Dead Rising to Left4Dead

[@humanafterallTF2]

@@BrickInTheHead yup, these are things that are both correct. Personal tastes. I would love to make a zombie movie with big city alleys and cctv camera footage to show slow zombies slowly appear from corners and dumbsters.

[@RuthwikRao]

Resident Evil is exactly what came to my mind when he said that haha

[@whogg0521]

This was great!

[@krishermstad376]

you know Gourley was just biting his tongue to not geek out on Halloween

[@lovefist86]

Get Out, Us, The Visit and Midsommar are my 4 favorite most current horror films. 3 brilliant writers.

[@abxyreviews5701]

The Vanishing is one of my all-time favorite movies. so glad it got a mention here.

[@keithulhul7540]

The slow walking strikes fear due to the implication. The thing doesnt need to run. Its not urgent. Its unavoidable, undeiable. It will get you. It cannot be denied.

[@AgtDrake]

John Carpenter's The Thing. Best horror movie. End of discussion. The effects in that movie are still amazing.

[@soothingsoundsbypearl3899]

What Conan is saying about slow vs fast is actually true. If something is rushing you, you don't have time to be truly scared. It's all adrenaline. Which is why modern zombie movies with running zombie movies feel more like action films as opposed to the dread and doom of older zombie films. If you happen upon a bear in the wild and it charges you from 15 feet away, you're not gonna have time to be afraid. But if you see a bear a hundred or so yards out, your nature walk is now filled with anxiety, dread, concern and fear.

[@agoosoriano903]

I like how Conan is a fan of the imagery aspect. There’s an old movie called ‘The Innocents’ that had a shot near the end that creeped me out.

[@84Elenai]

Conan really has good taste when it comes to horror movies. I mean, my favourite 3 horror movies of the last 8 years are It Follows, Midsommar and The Lodge. I actually got a few people really scared by recommending the latter to them! 😂 Edit. Get Out is also on my list, but I’d put it as the fourth best. Still a masterpiece, so refreshing and well thought.

[@itsjeninMass]

Jordan is a fekkin' GENIUS. I LOVE his stuff! My favorites have been Lovecraft Country and US. I'm always excited when he puts a new show or film out!

[@movealongcatdong4685]

@4:32 Something similar, there was an episode of Rod Serling's (of Twilight Zone) Night Gallery where the tension was derived from a corpse coming back to life from a cemetary right next door to a house, slowly shuffling towards the house. The kicker is that you didn't see or hear the corpse moving, but there was a painting inside the house that showed his progress. (Essentially, it was 4-5 different copies of the same painting with a figure in different positions, moving closer to the house.)

[@taylorlconner]

Yeesh… Never seen it but that creeps me out just thinking about it!

[@maydavalle]

⚜️

[@sylviasmiley1721]

Oh my god! I had this painting we found in a garage sale and I legit thought people moved around in it.

[@bdre5555]

I'm so glad that It Follows comes up, it's one of my favorite horror films of all time at this point. It sounds like a sequel is in the works

[@dremrem3223]

will the full video podcasts ever be upoloaded?? love this podcast but full video would be a nice option

[@mlmattin]

I've found that the type of horror that they are talking about is exactly what I like. It's that daytime horror, where everything should be OK, but there are hints that something is not quite right. The idea that in a place that should be safe, the characters are not safe. Halloween scared the heck out of me as a kid. I saw a lot of horror movies, but that is the one that gave me nightmares. It scared me more so than a movie with a raging, growling, bloody monster. It was that minimalism that Jordan spoke of. The blank expression on the mask, the minimal movement, and especially the silence of Michael Meyers. Of course the music helped a lot too.

[@ThePoorFluffy]

Omg 2 of my biggest heroes in a podcast thank you Jesus

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

I watched some British horror from the 70's on the advice of my Uncle. In Britain the BBC used to adapt old M. R. James short stories every holiday season called "A Ghost story for Christmas" a tradition I'm sad to say was not constant during my childhood as I think kids were allowed to stay up late at Christmas time and some got badly scared and the BBC got complaints so they stopped them but a lot of them are exactly what Conan was describing in terms of gradually stalking, slow build filled with great sound design inspiring that feeling of dread followed by a horrific climax I'm definitely with him on this one, it's a lot more scary to be hiking, turn around and seeing an unnatural looking thing behind you that you can't quite see clearly but no matter how quickly you walk or even run it just keeps showing up constantly following you. "Whistle and I'll come to you" and "A warning to the curious" are 2 very similar tales to "It follows"

[@samanthab1923]

The Brits do Christmas ghost stories justice. The Green Man with Albert Finney was good.

[@sylviasmiley1721]

Scariest moments for me are the most normal. Like this could happen to you. The mind showing times of such an extreme stress that it breaks. I am legend where he screams "Kevin, ....why are you out here" (close to that wording) when Jauqin sees the alien and next you see him wearing a foil hat. Terrifying. When Dharma and Greg find a hidden closet filled with doll pieces all strewn about and the next morning when he goes to show someone all the dolls are perfect and line the shelves. I wet myself from fear.

[@drathysdrathys8446]

I liked It Follows. Always coming, slowly step-by-step. No matter where you go. Sure you can run far a way, but how will you support yourself? And for how long before have to you run away again? Just thinking of being in that position is unique. A cool concept.

[@tomimpala]

2:29 unintentionally hilarious it just cuts to conan having glasses at 2:43

[@altohippiegabber]

"SPOORLOOS" 1988 , damn good choice there from Conan! A Dutch Masterpiece!

[@pandareemy]

Every movie Conan mentioned is a timeless classic

[@zaynes5094]

The original Ju-On The Grudge is one I often site as being a forming in my early horror film viewing history that actually made me understand upon first watch what was happening in it, and also equally terrified me. A lot of that has to do with the camera work, the acting, and the silence that then follows with music that helps make a scene terrifying. "It Follows" is all about the dread. It doesn't feel like a horror film really, but it certainly is by the end. Especially Kayako, the Grudge spirit who haunted my dreams and made me afraid to take showers for weeks after watching it. The premise was very simple, you take a haunted house trope, set in modern Japan, and you just take a specific idea in the Japanese folkloric tradition of a curse and a Onryo, or a vengeful spirit, and use that as the medium to tell an otherwise scary, haunting story. One such story that, in a unique enough way and with a terrifying premise (in a female spirit chasing you and NEVER letting go once it has you in its sights), someday, they say it's a Supernatural horror classic. Like it has become.

[@Psilocybin77]

I was transfixed when the pub I used to frequent, was playing that film on their big screen in their basement (they often played movies down there, as a place to chill with friends). For weeks after my friend would call me and make that noise, knowing full well how much it freak me out lol.

[@GranulatedStuff]

love The Cabin in the Woods.... first time I saw it completely spoiler free.... and Damien, Carpenter's The Thing & the original Hellraiser are faves too... oh and Poltergeist

[@NiranjhanaNarayanan]

About the cloud in Nope, ever since then I look at a couple of clouds every other day a little suspiciously. Lasting effect for sure.

[@reilley26]

I don't watch horror movies usually but finally watch Get Out and Us when the pandemic lockdowns were starting to give myself the sense of fear others were talking about back then and both were great watches!

[@adamhadem3678]

great commentary here

[@jimreplicant]

Thinking about the ending of the vanishing really makes my skin crawl😂 It is such a dark movie

[@sethdonut]

great discussion

[@markfeggeler3479]

I’ve long waited for someone to make a proper remake of The Uninvited, a black and white film starring Ray Milland that had humor, didn’t go for cheap scares, and still managed to achieve great spookiness in a classic ghost story.

[@samanthab1923]

That is my favorite old scary movie. Love the setting, the music & look it’s Alfred from Batman. 👻

[@flahoo2807]

Im so glad they mentioned let the right one in I love that film

[@monlifes]

that was so interesting!

[@whatinthewhatnow5167]

One of my core film memories I hav, is a horror film memory. Early 90’s, I was maybe 6 - 7. My dad showed me and my brothers “The Thing From Another World”. That went well enough. After seeing us handle that fine, he said “Alright, next week we’re going to turn things up a notch and watch the remake with Kurt Russell.” Very different, but equally great movies.

[@cineyematic]

From Mad TV to becoming one of the top directors in the world. Words can't describe how proud I am of Jordan :') Wish they'd release this entire episode. Conan's the greatest late night talk show host to ever live!

[@icarusandtherabbit]

Wow a rare shout out to IT Follows. Awesome movie.

[@X--hu2gk]

Let the right one in is so good

[@florete2310]

6:54 Plot twist: All vehicles are booked up for the next one and a half hours - you have to take the tube. TAM-TAM-TAAAAAAM😱

[@L1VE3V1L]

The changeling with George c Scott. Incredible.

[@nishidohellhillsruler6731]

What Conan said about being slow chased by a zombie reminded me of "It stains the sand red". I haven't watch it yet, but it's pretty much that, the whole movie.

[@brandonmelling771]

That does it. Conan needs to be a guest on Gourley's horror podcast "With Gourley and Rust" now.

[@ftuT]

Great selection and observations, Conan. He's way too humble about his knowledge of the material. I got really confused thinking about Mike Myers killing people when Conan started talking. I know it's a short walk from Mike to Michael, but both characters are so different, the image doesn't come that frequently.

[@jerrysparks8781]

I identify a bit with what Conan mentioned as far as the slow walk. That's scary for me in the metaphorical sense in that the walking antagonist is the creeping issue that is coming for me no matter what I do (think disease, pain, divorce, death).

[@BootyHole_Brown]

It’s so eerie that the two horror movies that Conan brings up are what I would consider two of the best modern horror films made right now and are both are personal favorites. I guess we have the same taste in spooky.

[@77Creation]

Eggers, Aster, Peele and Perkins... 21st Century Horror GOATs. Great vid!

[@TheMrbc74]

Carpenter was a master of horror, I remember watching assault on precinct 13 as a kid and even tho it’s not technically a horror the sense of dread building in that film had me hooked

[@gonufc]

28 Days Later was when zombies actually became scry to me- the frantic, insatiable desire was scarier than ambling and shuffling slowly waiting to be hit.

[@Jeremy-nn9fo]

This was a great episode. Would love to see Jordan back eventually. Maybe even Ari Aster? That would be amazing!

[@thedrizzle06925]

Ari isn't even in the same realm

[@frankbyrne6069]

I can listen to Jordan Peele talk horror movies all day. I would love to see him and Patton Oswalt discuss the subject.

[@actionboy3221]

I know this already exists but I feel like I haven’t seen it pulled off at a high level yet. I just want a horror movie, set at Christmas time, with the normal “Christmas Music at the mall” music. But slowly awful things happen that are truly horrifying. I think what people get wrong is they try to make Christmas itself scary, like “what if Santa was a monster” blah blah blah. But like, just even a stalker slasher movie set in a snowy December with that music would be amazing. Idk I can’t describe it well I guess. I’m trying to describe a feeling that I can’t even place.

[@jennamarz]

Conans absolutely right, NOPE had me afraid of the god dang clouds outside on a normal looking day lol 😅 Jordan Peele brought horror into my everyday life without trying

[@Anakele20]

In the movie "Get Out", Jordan took inspiration for the surprise twist from the Movie "Spellbinder". I immediately knew where things were going. But knowing didn't hurt the movie for me. I was just the only person who saw it coming.

[@humblebraggkm318]

I would love to talk to Jordan Peele about her cause I can talk forever about it. I really want to talk to him about the twilight zone and how it changed horror.

[@bbz232]

Goddamn Conan described the exact scene in the witch that scared me. Just the eeriness of the unknown what’s in that tree line. Really made me think how being on the frontier of new lands would be terrifying. There could be a witch in those woods.

[@lanlam879]

No one in my family will watch horror movies with me either, so I completely sympathize with Conan. And I have seen every film that he referenced, including The Vanishing.

[@user-gt7vn9lz2m]

Conan likes a shot of trees in the wind...and eerie atmosphere...well...Conan..remember Twin Peaks..you'd love it

[@Tondars]

what made NOPE work was the baby steps of world building. Everything developed logically and methodically. It was truly Best Picture of 2022. Thank you Jordan.

[@Fatamorgana420]

The Ritual is so underrated, it's great.

[@Psilocybin77]

That entire movie hit every note for what a good horror movie can be.

[@sebastijancamagajevac9942]

Nice one! 👍